Equitable Child Care
Building and retaining a healthy, equitable child care workforce is integral to the sustainability of the ChildCare and EarlyLearning sector and the well-being of our nation's children.
Childcare and early learning programs are essential for working women and our nation’s economic future. While YWCAs are grateful for the initial infusion of funds to stabilize the childcare sector during the pandemic, additional support and effective oversight is required to ensure the longevity of both the sector and its workforce. In its current form, funding levels only enable core federal programs to reach just a fraction of eligible families, leaving far too many families struggling to find and afford high-quality care that meets their needs. Systemic barriers have also led communities of color, families with non-traditional work hours, and single-mother head of households without access to quality, affordable care. Building and retaining a healthy, equitable childcare workforce is also integral to the sustainability of the childcare and early learning sector and the well-being of children in their care. According to a Yale research study, 66.5% of child care providers are experiencing moderate to high levels of stress, and 45.7% of child care professionals screen positive for depression. Coupled with poverty level wages, childcare workers (93% of whom are women and disproportionately women of color) are fleeing the profession. Without additional federal investments, the ongoing exit of providers will deepen the already detrimental workforce shortage, leaving families without options and our economy in peril. Continued prioritization and investment to address our nation’s child care crisis will ensure that businesses can remain open and retain their workforce and parents can stay at work knowing their children are in safe, educational environments. A sustainable childcare infrastructure is pivotal to meeting the needs of all women, families, and childcare providers.
Guided by the on-the-ground experience and voices of providers, we urge Congress to:
• Stabilize and build the child care workforce by increasing access to living wages and skills-based training for childcare providers and educators
• Invest in the long-term stabilization of the child care sector to ensure accessible, quality, and affordable child care for all
• Address the mental, behavioral, and emotional health needs of providers and children
• Ensure healthy, equitable, and supportive workplaces for teachers, staff, and the children in their care
• Make additional investments in the childcare sector via the appropriations process.
